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Hi Allen I know there are no contemporary drawings of Mayflower (if that is the project you are working on) with the body plan, but if there are drawings of the bulkheads in the kit you can take a picture and insert a jpg into a drawing program then draw the missing bulkheads. It would likely not be dead center between the two, but they would be close, especially if you cut it a little oversized so room to sand it down. If you do not have a drawing program, you can still make copies and paper dolls of the existing bulkheads to get something close. I am sure there is more scientific way, but this is simple and has worked for me in the past. Allan

As a big fan on these old schooners this is an interesting point David. Did the working boats paint the blocks or is this a modern convention? I see the usefulness of paint to protect the wooden shells but was this actual practice when they were fishing industry vessels rather than modern tour boats? Inquiring minds...... Allan

You sure did chose the best possible beginner models and no doubt will be able to use a lot of what you learned as you move on to more complicated projects. As you have chosen the Herreshoff 12 1/2 I am guessing you have plans from Mystic or elsewhere and will be doing a scratch build. Please consider starting a build log as many of us would love to see this vessel come to life. Welcome to MSW Allan

Further to Marks post, many lines were simply belayed to rails and timberheads prior to pins being used. A contemporary model at Preble Hall is below as one example Allan

Hi Peter, it will be fun for us to follow your build As it is the Bellona class 74 I assume it is the 1760 Thunderer versus the 1783 ship. What book is it that you show the Zeus figurehead, the AOS or Building a Wooden Fighting Ship? Looking at the RMG model of the 1760 Thunderer it looks like a different figure. They do mention it may be Hercules, not Thunderer (or maybe some other ship altogether) thus a different figurehead. Allan

Coranado seems like a less likely place to see this kind of thing than Hong Kong. I remember HK in the 60's with the many street food vendors with octopus and other goodies hanging on hooks and covered with flies. I must admit to trying and enjoying some of these and never did get sick. 1200 crewmen!!!! WOW. On our trip that included HK, our C-4 freighter had a crew of 32 plus the two cadets (my roommate and me) Good times!!! Allan

Welcome to MSW Martimous! For the second layer of planking study contemporary models on the RMG Collections site and see if this is what the planking in your kit instructs. If not, you might consider studying the write up by author and member David Antscherl on proper planking (many kits don't get it) in the Articles data base here at MSW as well as the You Tube video on planking by Chuck Passaro. Cheers Allan

Other than a computer search for more details, you might be relegated to what the kit offers. Small things like making belaying pins to scale and realistic looking gratings can be kit bashed though. Looking forward to your build log! Allan

More like 200 or 300 or more sailors. Buckets aplenty might have been the answer. Allan

Your launch is looking very nice! I realize it is a couple weeks late, but thought you and others that are building ships' boats would find the following from David Steel of interest when it comes to making oars. For example, a 23 foot launch such as that from the Bounty would have oars at or a bit longer than 20 feet. www.thebigrow.com/?p=659#more-659 Other pertinent dimensions can also be seen for the loom, handle, blade, etc. Some other interesting information such as single and double banking can be found at www.thebigrow.com/?cat=15 Looking at contemporary plans of various boats there seems to always be exceptions but at least these might be a decent guide. Allan

Welcome Ross!! For a first build, your model looks very nice. For your next project which Diana are you planning to build? If the one from 1794 have you acquired a copy of the Anatomy of the Ship book on the Diana by David White? It will help you with the details. There are a lot of contemporary drawings of the Artois class of which Diana was one on the RMG Collections website that you might find helpful. There 8 photos of a contemporary model of the Diana 1794 as well www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-66303 Looking forward to your build log! Allan

If you are in the USA let me know and I will post the supplier's name for you or anyone interested. Allan

Your air trunk is fantastic. I opted for one made from a solid piece, but yours is like the real thing. GREAT WORK! Allan

Hello Benjamin, I agree with Chuck, holly looks great, a bit like a freshly holystoned deck. Caulking is a whole other story. If your scale is smaller than about 1:48, it usually does not look good no matter the method used so many leave it off. Some like pencil, paint, marker and tissue. The last is the only one I have found that works for me but many folks like the other methods as well. Maybe try each and see what you like best. Where are you located? There is at least one wood supplier in the US that usually has a big stock of holly (Ilex opaca) including about 35 or 40 boards now. It is not cheap, but for decking it goes a long way. Hi Chuck, I am anxious to see how the aspen looks if you go that route. Thanks, Allan

Hi Ed, Sorry, I cannot see this cut-out but it may just be different terminology that we are using. 😀 I am guessing the cut-out you mention is the seat rather than the groove that you carved into the bobstay and lacing piece. The taper of the knee of the head is multiaxial and varies with the size and era of the ship. Post Establishment scantlings can be found in Scantlings of the Royal Navy pages 72-76 for various size ships. They are from David Steel's Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture 1805 and The Shipbuilder's Repository 1788. I realize these may be different than found in an American vessel, but I would not be surprised if they were very similar. The dimensions below are approximate, your ship may have been slightly different. Note that in the vertical taper that the bottom of the gripe is the same width as the forward end of the keel (which was normally much narrower than the keel midships.) It looks like you did this from your photos which is great to see. This means the assembly is narrower than where it fays to the stem at the top, but larger than the forward end of the assembly at the seat. I have also seen where it starts other than at the top of the knee of the head. The main things are that the gripe (and stem) is tapered so it is sided the same as the keel where they meet, the top of the assembly is the same or slightly smaller where it fays to the stem at the top, and there is the taper from the stem to the seat. There is actually a bit more to this, but I hope this helps at least a little. Allan

As you make progress on your model have you been able to check against the contemporary plans held at RMG? MS has a great reputation for their kits, but it is always nice to have the original plans against which to check and I am curious to see if there are any significant differences. The RN renamed here Cormorant after they captured her but renamed her Rattlesnake later. The drawings are labeled Cormorant but are the Rattlesnake built in 1780 in Massachusetts. www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-84323 Note there are two drawings, the deck plans and the inboard profile and body plan. Allan

This has been mentioned in other posts so I hope you don't mind it being brought up here as it maybe something to consider for the future. The Fully Framed Model Volume I, page 142 goes into detail on the taper of the knee of the head as the Swan class ships tapered 60% in width, so pretty noticeable, rather than the knee being grooved to accommodate the figure head legs. This tapering practice was common on most, if not all, British ships of war, but maybe ships built in New England did not follow this tapering practice. Allan

Hi Dave Look at some of the various rigged models at Preble Hall, RMG, Lees' Mastng and Rigging and Franklin's Navy Board Ship Models and you will seem the majority have no sails, but are nearly fully rigged with leech lines, tacks, sheets and more. Lees' Masting and Rigging page 76 has very detailed drawings of how to rig the tack, sheet and clue garnet blocks together when no sails were rigged. Allan

A very warm welcome and a huge thank you for your service. Allan

Thank you for asking! We are 24 miles to the beach so were lucky. We lost cable for a little over a day and phones were wonky but we never lost power or water. Friends west of us were hit very hard. Some are back to normal, others are months/year away from some form of normalcy with the need for gutting interiors and replacing floors, walls, utilities and furniture. Because they state that the product is non-toxic does not mean that other products are toxic. I think the comments on lead above are what they were addressing as we all know lead is to be avoided if at all possible. I suppose each product you consider using should be investigated as much as possible. Allan

I have used copper and brass with good results. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Brass rod stays stray except where you bend it. Copper is softer so more difficult for the straight portions. Blackening copper with diluted liver of sulfur is very easy and as mentioned can be done once the piece is in place. Brass needs to be done off the model as brass blackening agents will stain the wood. Try some test pieces then choose which YOU like best for the links. Allan

Bill, My favorite is called "Solder It" Silver bearing soldering paste. It works with my soldering iron and it has worked very well for me. I try to stay with copper wherever possible as it blackens so easily with liver of sulfur in situ which is a big plus for many of us. Brass also works OK although I prefer higher temp solder for brass. Also, since Blacken It has gone off the market, I have gone Birchwood Casey for blackening brass and this must be done before installing the piece. Allan

Hi Bill, If you are going to have the ends of a brass or copper link butt, with or without a diagonal edge, low temp silver solder paste works nicely and will hold well compared to soft solder. If the links are very small diameter material, I have found that high temp silver solder and an appropriate torch may be difficult to work without melting the link itself. As you mention, practice, practice, practice. It usually works wonders, my golf game being a big exception.😀 Allan

Bdb You may be right, but a binding strake is just that, a strake. Goodwin describes it as follows: Running the full length of the deck either side of the numerous fittings on the centreline was a strake of planking known as the binding strake. From The Construction and Fitting, page 59. Then again the US ships may have been different with ten stakes instead of two or there is a chance the kit is not correct. Hopefully some member will have contemporary based information regarding US Navy ship deck planking. Allan

THANK YOU for posting these photos Dafi. The details that can be seen are terrific, including the cleats which we rarely see on model carriages. These show up on paintings of Victory but not sure they are even on the replica carriages today. I am not sure when they came into use, as the earliest I can find is 1795, in Caruana's English Sea Ordnance volume I page 382. These drawings also show the breast at the front of the carriage. Allan